Hurco VC600i

The Hurco VC600i is a five-axis machining center with a 600 mm (23.62 in) × 600 mm (23.62 in) table rated for 350 kg (770 lb), and travels of 820 mm (32.28 in) in X, 550 mm (21.65 in) in Y and 500 mm (19.68 in) in Z. Its CAT 40 spindle reaches 12,000 rpm and is rated 17 kW (22.8 hp) with 107.2 Nm (79.1 ft-lb) of torque.

The spindle is the main reason to look at this machine over its smaller sibling. The VC500i turns faster, to 15,000 rpm, but is rated only 11 kW (14.8 hp) and 70 Nm (51.6 ft-lb). On the VC600i the extra torque lets a 40-taper shop rough steel and stainless on five sides, rather than keeping the rotary machine for light finishing work only. If most of the work is small aluminium parts with small cutters, the faster spindle may matter more.

The table is larger than the 500 mm (19.7 in) square of the VC500i, and the load rating rises from 250 kg (550 lb) to 350 kg (770 lb). X travel of 820 mm (32.28 in) is well beyond the table width, which gives the spindle room to work around a tilted part without running out of stroke. The B axis covers +110° / -110° and the C axis turns 360°, both at 25 rpm.

Tools are held in a 40-station magazine with a tool-to-tool time of 2.5 sec, and may be up to 76 mm (3 in) in diameter, 300 mm (11.8 in) long and 7 kg (15.4 lb). Spindle nose to table is listed as 150 mm (5.9 in). The machine weighs 9,900 kg (21,826 lb), noticeably more than the 7,170 kg (15,807 lb) of the VC500i, which is worth knowing for the floor and the crane. The control is Hurco's WinMax, with conversational and G-code programming.